Shadows of the Spotlight

Chapter 66

After the wrap-up, I waited quietly outside Arc's dressing room in the villa, giving him time to change. I'd decided it would be best to talk to him about visiting his family in private. I tried to push aside the feelings that had crept in during the shoot, focusing instead on how happy he might be if he got the chance to spend time with them.

About ten minutes passed. I found myself pacing lightly, thinking of a reason—any excuse—to go inside. That's when I noticed a staff member approaching with a trolley holding two trays of food, heading toward Arc's room.

He wasn't part of the tour crew and didn't recognize me, but when I flashed my staff ID, he relaxed. Just as he reached for the doorknob, I stepped forward.

"Arc might take a little longer to change," I said, keeping my voice calm and casual.

The staff member hesitated, unsure, but nodded. As he turned to wheel the trolley away, I added, "You can leave the tray with me—I'll give it to him."

Looking relieved, he thanked me and handed over the tray before heading off, presumably to deliver the other to A-Su.

I took a breath to steady myself, then knocked on the door.

A faint, "Come in," came from inside.

I pushed the door open gently.

Arc had already changed into a loose t-shirt and track pants, his stage presence replaced by something quieter, more relaxed. He was seated, scrolling through something on his tablet, entirely in his own world.

Without saying anything, I walked over and placed the tray on the table nearby.

"Thanks," he said automatically, without glancing up.

Here's an improved and naturally expanded version of your scene. I've refined the dialogue to make it more emotionally engaging, while keeping the pacing tight and staying close to your original intent:

I stayed quiet for a moment, trying to find the right way to ease into the conversation I had come here for.

"It was a hectic day for you," I said, hoping small talk would soften the mood.

Hearing my voice, Arc looked up, surprised. "오, 릴라. 너인 줄 몰랐어. 네가 음식을 가져다줄 필요는 없었잖아. (Oh, Lila. I didn't realize it was you. You didn't have to bring me the food.)"

"나는 지루해서 직원들을 돕기로 했습니다.(I was just bored and decided to help the staff out)," I said, brushing off the real reason—that I'd made an excuse just to see him.

"That's nice of you," he replied, still hesitant about speaking in English, then set the tablet aside. "So... how did you like Busan?"

I assumed he was asking about my little solo trip and jumped in eagerly. "It was beautiful! I visited Beomeosa Temple, and I walked around some streets near the market. There's this old bookstore I found—"

He tilted his head, clearly confused. "잠깐요... 언제 거기 갔었어요?(Wait... when did you go there?)"

Only then did I realize—he hadn't even known I left the shoot. "아. 첫 번째 장소가 끝나고 나서는 그냥 혼자 푹 쉬었어요. 범어사가 근처에 있는 걸 보고... 뭐 어때? 하고 생각했죠. 하루 종일 할 일이 없었거든요. (Oh. After the first location wrapped up, I kind of went off on my own. I noticed Beomeosa was nearby and thought... why not? I didn't really have anything to do for the rest of the day.)"

Arc gave a small smile. "Nice. 시간을 잘 활용하신 것 같네요.(Sounds like you made good use of your time.)"

Taking that as my opening, I leaned in a little. "I saw a lot of interesting places... but you won't believe what surprised me the most."